Following almost destroying our world, the relatives are friends’: a thrilling audio series from JFK & Khrushchev’s relatives.

In the month of October 1962, the world veered closer toward destruction more so than ever during recent history. This occurred when a US surveillance aircraft identified the fact that Soviet atomic missile installations were under construction in Cuba, a mere 160 kilometers from American soil. Reacting to this, President JFK commanded a naval task force to establish a naval quarantine encircling the island. What followed constituted almost 14 days of unbearable tension.

The Catastrophic Danger

The peril remained obvious. If President Kennedy, or else his Russian opposite, Nikita Khrushchev, had fired against the other side, a cascade involving global nuclear attacks and retaliatory strikes might have ensued, thrusting civilization into all-out ruination.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, in volumes, films, and TV documentaries. However, in its latest installment, a prominent BBC World Service podcast The Bomb introduces a completely new perspective to the story. The series is jointly hosted featuring Max Kennedy and Khrushchev's descendant, family members of the leaders that, over 13 days, controlled the fate of humanity within their grasp.

"What were the Russians thinking? What were the United States considering?" ponders Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter who is also an academic of global relations.

For her, the strength of the show lies in its endeavor to objectively ask: "Why do individuals hate each other to the point they oppose each other?"

"It struck me how remarkable the fact that people can be friends or else have the potential to be complete enemies," states Kennedy, son of RFK, related to JFK and now an author as well as attorney. "We see this dynamic over and over when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the sheer folly it is to fight."

The Precipice of Catastrophe

What’s striking regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it transpired so publicly, people globally were able to observe nearly in real time as it edged towards armageddon. Nonetheless, the risk of annihilation came closer than anybody realised.

"Almost all officials in the White House were advocating for a military strike followed by an invasion," notes Kennedy. "If we had attacked the Cubans using the naval blockade, there is no question Soviet forces stationed there would have launched a nuclear warhead at the American ships, and that would've destroyed our aircraft carriers as well as sunk America's largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated with an overwhelming counterattack that would have eradicated all life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur is a testament to Kennedy and Khrushchev, who managed to keep their heads and engaging in diplomacy at a time when hawkish elements around them demanded action. Consequently, The Soviet premier agreed to withdraw the nuclear weapons in the Caribbean island while President Kennedy (although not reported then) removed his similar weapons from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

A Divergent Perspective

Yet, for those two weeks of October 1962, the anxiety was palpable by everyone. The Bomb’s presenters were born shortly after these events, with Khrushcheva learned about the crisis through the USSR's education system, which painted an alternative narrative of events.

"You said your parent remembers it, and it was a frightening day," she says. "But in the Soviet Union, the public were largely unaware that much about it, because it was a tense situation, whereas in the Soviet Union we were told that things are always fine and sunny."

Within Khrushchev’s family, however, it was different. "They told me that it was a triumphant occasion for the USSR, because it was eyeball to eyeball. The leaders managed to find a solution, thus avoided a global war, seen as a wonderful thing," she adds. Later on, though, that view would not be shared by all Russians. "For decades within Russian historical analysis, it was considered a failure for the Soviet leader, simply he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Partnership

The Bomb is so even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Khrushcheva quips she nearly forgot she already knew the ending. This effect is, partly, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most significant thing remains the involvement of the hosts themselves. Not so long ago, it would be unthinkable that descendants of the leaders of the United States and Soviet Union would appear together publicly. The fact that Max Kennedy and Nina Khrushcheva can do that, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a sign of progress.

"We aren't the first," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative Sergey Khrushchev’s son and formed a close bond with the former president's family."

"But we had never met prior to this project," adds Max. "That is a shame because we got along immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Finally, following nearly six decades of almost destroying the planet, our families have become allies, suggesting global relations is more secure, somewhat."

Modern Parallels with Present Perils

Is that truly the case? One reason the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is because we now find ourselves in a perilous era. The symbolic clock of doom stands nearer to midnight in its history, partly since today's statesmen appear not to be able to grasp